Wednesday, February 01, 2012

The Reluctant Heiress

Guy Farne was found on the docks in Newcastle and made his fortune to become on of the richest men in the world-- all in order to win over the snobby family of a girl he once loved.

Tessa is the under-wardrobe mistress of an opera company in Vienna. She also happens to be a Princess and heiress to Austria's most stunning castle, but it's post-WWI and Austria's nobility is crumbling. Luckily, the castle has a buyer and Tessa can devote herself to the music she loves so much.

You can see where this is going.

I love a good surprise reveal scene (like when Guy finds out Tessa's actually a Princess!) and a fun reunion and Ibbotson does them really well. I loved the glimpse into interwar noble life. I've seen it on the British side often enough, but it's different here because Austria lost and their vast empire was carved up and they turned Republic. It's a lot for them to handle and they're doing it with various levels of grace. I also loved the crazy characters in Tessa's opera company. Little details like the Yogurt Mother make it such a fun read.

The plot is predictable, and characters flat and not at all nuanced, but it was still very enjoyable and exactly what I needed.

Book Provided by... my local library

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